PeerWise is a free online student-centred collaborative learning tool with which students anonymously
author, answer, and evaluate multiple choice questions (MCQs). Features such as commenting on questions,
rating questions and comments, and appearing on leaderboards, can encourage healthy competition, engage
students in reflection and debate, and enhance their communication skills. PeerWise has been used in diverse
subject areas but never previously in Veterinary Medicine. The Veterinary undergraduates at the University of
Glasgow are a distinct cohort; academically gifted and often highly strategic in their learning due to time
pressures and volume of course material. In 2010-11 we introduced PeerWise into 1st year Veterinary
Biomolecular Sciences in the Glasgow Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery programme. To scaffold
PeerWise use, a short interactive session introduced students to the tool and to the basic principles of good MCQ
authorship. Students were asked to author four and answer forty MCQs throughout the academic year.
Participation was encouraged by an allocation of up to 5% of the final year mark and inclusion of studentauthored
questions in the first summative examination. Our analysis focuses on engagement of the class with the\ud
tool and their perceptions of its use. All 141 students in the class engaged with PeerWise and the majority
contributed beyond that which was stipulated. Student engagement with PeerWise prior to a summative exam
was positively correlated to exam score, yielding a relationship that was highly significant (p<0.001). Student
perceptions of PeerWise were predominantly positive with explicit recognition of its value as a learning and
revision tool, and more than two thirds of the class in agreement that question authoring and answering
reinforced their learning. There was clear polarisation of views, however, and those students who did not like
PeerWise were vociferous in their dislike, the biggest criticism being lack of moderation by staff
